WiL (World Innovation Lab)

WiL (World Innovation Lab) is a venture capital firm headquartered in Palo Alto with an office in Tokyo. It partners with global corporations and government entities to act as a bridge between startups and corporates in the United States and Asia, with a particular focus on Japan. The firm helps portfolio companies by forging corporate partnerships that enable U.S. and European startups to scale globally and Japanese startups to innovate and internationalize. WiL invests across seed, early, and later stages in sectors including fintech, insurtech, automation, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, developer tools, health tech, sustainability, artificial intelligence, machine learning, SaaS, consumer products and services, and information technology. It has backed exits such as Asana, Mercari, Raksul, Wise and Auth0, demonstrating a track record of guiding companies to public markets or strategic acquisitions. Beyond direct investing, WiL also commits capital to venture funds and collaborates with corporate investors to advance innovation capabilities, partnerships, and organizational change within their ecosystems.

Clifford Cohn

Principal

Clifford Cohn

Investor

Todd Grover

Principal

Gen Isayama

General Partner

Aki Jiang

Investor and Partner

Past deals in Art

HERALBONY

Venture Round in 2025
HERALBONY is an art organization and agency that harnesses art to challenge stereotypes about people with disabilities and to foster a new cultural landscape. It collaborates with artists from social welfare facilities, providing licensing for artworks used on station buildings, office walls, and product packaging, and developing and marketing its own brand of apparel and miscellaneous goods. The company supports individual artists with cognitive disabilities by promoting social status and financial independence through creative work.

COMICSMART

Series A in 2024
Comic Smart is animation production business that develops exclusive manga and anime content.

Trys

Venture Round in 2014
Trys is a technology company specializing in illustration, manga production, and video game development. It focuses on creating original intellectual properties and provides design services for clients, including character design and illustration. The company operates a platform that produces video games for smartphones and develops manga videos. Trys manages the entire creative process, from initial drawing to coloring and specification design, ensuring that clients receive tailored content that meets their production criteria. Additionally, the company collaborates with professional cartoonists to develop engaging manga content, catering to both client needs and gaming enthusiasts who enjoy a variety of role-playing games on mobile devices.
Spot something off? Help us improve by flagging any incorrect or outdated information. Just email us at support@teaserclub.com. Your feedback is most welcome.